Babe in Ireland
by Inganorway
Summary: Steph gets fed up with being the butt of every joke and bet in Trenton, so she escapes to Ireland. But will she be happy there? And will her past let her go? Babestory. Chapter six is up!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: All characters belong to Janet Evanovich, except Ranger who is MINE and I will never, ever, let him go! Also, I am flat broke, and writing this will in no way remedy the situation. Unfortunately._

**Chapter one:**

"Babe."

Oh no, I did not just hear that voice, that nickname. Not here, of all places! I was NOT going to turn around and see if he was there, if I just ignored him, he would go away. Not that he could since he wasn't there. Oh yeah, denial was definitely the way to go.

My name is Stephanie Plum, and I used to be a bounty hunter. Yeah, I know, it sounds cool, doesn't it? But the truth of the matter is, I kinda sucked at it. I spent my days going after low level bonds. I spent a lot of time rolling in garbage, and only made the bare minimum of money to cover my rent and hamster-food. My insurance company was becoming down right hostile because of all the cars I managed to blow up, and I was torn between two men who both loved me, just not unconditionally. It didn't help things that I loved them both, and couldn't choose between them. I felt as if I was being pulled in every direction, and it was only a matter of time before something snapped. Most likely me.

One year ago, I finally had enough of being the butt of every joke and bet in Trenton, so I did what anybody would have done. I moved to Ireland. All right, so maybe not "anybody", but definitely some, because I got the idea on the internet when I came across an add for a recruitment company who was recruiting people for a job opening in… you guessed it, Ireland. I never really planned it, I just sent in my CV on impulse, to see what would happen. What happened was that I was contacted by a very nice lady who seemed convinced that I would be perfect for the job. That was such a nice change of pace, as normally nobody, including myself, has any confidence in me doing anything right. Anyway, she convinced me to go through a phone interview, which I did, and then another one, and then I was offered the job!

Up until that point, I had not seriously considered going through with it, but suddenly I had options. I could stay, and nothing would change, or I could go and see what life could be like outside of Trenton, New Jersey. Doesn't seem like such a tough choice, does it? But truth is, I had never really wanted to live anywhere else, the whole "travelling and see the world" had never really appealed to me. Still, I desperately needed the change, and I ended up accepting the job.

The company I was to work for was a big computer company, I was to be in customer relations. The company paid for my ticket, and when I arrived I was to receive a relocation package to cover moving-expenses. It was a good deal, but I still couldn't believe I was actually going through with it until I was sitting on the plane, heading for Europe. From the time that I sent in the CV to the time I landed in Ireland, three weeks had passed. Only three weeks! And I hadn't told anyone what I was up to. Not because I wanted to just disappear, I know I couldn't. One of the men mentioned previously is a cop called Joe Morelli, and the other one a mercenary-man of mysteries-Batman-meets-James Bond-type, called Ranger. There was no way I could hide if they decided to find me. However, I didn't want to have to justify my decision to them, mainly because I didn't think I could. Deep down I knew that I was running away, taking the cowardly way out, and I knew they would call me on it. Well dammit, I wasn't in the mood to face that, so I just didn't tell them. Of course, not telling them meant I couldn't tell anyone else either. Ever heard the saying "What one person knows, one person knows. What two people know, everyone knows"? Well, that's the Burg. That's the area of Trenton that I come from. It's a nice place, but it is also gossip-central. So I didn't tell anyone, including my parents and best friends. I called them once I arrived in Ireland, and those phone calls made me very happy to be on a different continent. I didn't call Joe or Ranger, I figured they would contact me soon enough.

I was wrong though, they never called. It hurt, a lot, but distance really did make a difference. And there was plenty to keep me occupied and distracted from the thought of them. I was in training for my new job, I was moving into a house shared with two others, I was making friends, I was learning to understand the Irish dialect (that took me several months. Hell, it's been a year and I'm still struggling with it). After a few months I even started dating someone, but that turned out to be a big mistake. When a man starts talking about wanting to get back with his ex girlfriend during sex (!), you know you've taken a wrong turn somewhere.

Anyway, that's how I ended up here. On a bus stop, in pouring rain (you know how they say that it's always raining in Ireland? They're not lying), waiting for a bus that's unlikely to show up. The bus stop was crowded with colleagues, all anxious to get home after a long day, and every head seemed to be turned towards whoever was standing behind me. Not my head of course, in fact I shut my eyes tight and prayed silently that whoever it was would just go away. No such luck of course, instead he stepped closer. I could feel his warm presence behind me, immobile and strong, close but not quite touching. Then his hand settled on my neck, and I gave a startled squeak. His breath teased the skin at the nape of my neck as he repeated: "Babe."

Dammit, there was no way out. Ignoring him wouldn't make him go away, but I wasn't ready to turn around yet either. Instead I just asked "Yes?"

Damn, that came out a lot more breathless than I would have liked.

"Get in the car."

The hand on my neck turned me around, but I still wouldn't look at him. Instead I looked towards the car parked behind me. It was a black Bronco, and leaning against the side of it was a huge black man. He was dressed in black, and it was hard to make out his contours against the black car, but you could clearly see his teeth gleaming as he grinned towards me.

"Hi Bombshell, looking good."

I was dressed in a baggy all-weather jacket which came down to my knees, and I was soaked to the bone, my hair had long since escaped the pony tail I had made hastily this morning, and was now clinging to my face and neck, giving me the look of a drowned cat. I had also neglected to put on waterproof make up this morning, and I was trying very hard not to think of the state of my mascara.

"Thanks Tank, you too."

The hand on my neck squeezed slightly, and started steering me towards the Bronco. I considered resisting, but knew it wouldn't be much use. I would just be picked up and tossed into the car. Plus, the last bus had never showed up, and the one we were waiting for now was already late, so probably it would be a good thing to catch a lift. Hah, as if, if I had any sense I should be running as fast as my feet could carry me in the opposite direction.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: All characters belong to Janet Evanovich, except Ranger who is MINE and I will never, ever, let him go! I am still broke, and writing this will in no way remedy the situation. Unfortunately._

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**Chapter Two:**

Tank got into the back seat, leaving the front seat open for me. I got in, then glanced at the driver's seat. Yup, it was definitely Ranger. As if there had been any doubt, but always a good idea to get confirmation of these things. He started the car, and as he pulled out of the bus stop, I saw the faces of Rachel and Kamila, my house mates, staring at me through the window. The looked confused, and slightly worried, so I smiled to show them that I was all right, and made a phone sign to indicate that I would call them later. Then we were gone.

I glanced over at Ranger, and the sight of him sent shivers right down to my doodah. It wasn't fair that one man could be so incredibly sexy! His mocha latte skin glistened wet from the rain outside, and I had an overwhelming urge to lick the raindrops off his neck. Luckily I got distracted by his hair. It had been long when last I saw him, but now it was shorter, and the black waves framed his face, while not quite reaching his shoulders. He was focusing on the road, apparently having no problems driving on the left side, and if I hadn't seen the tick in his jaw clenching and unclenching, I would have thought he was in his driving zone. As it was, he seemed more like a man pissed off, and trying hard not to explode.

I was a little confused. Why would he show up after a year of silence, only to say nothing? The tension in the car was explosive, and I didn't want to set it off by making a stupid comment, so I glanced over my shoulder and looked at Tank, to see if he could clue me in. He just frowned slightly and shifted his shoulders marginally. I guess there was an ESP message there, but I couldn't read it. Fine, I'd just wait for Ranger to talk. It had been a year, I was older and more patient, I had grown as a person and I didn't need all the answers right away. And if you believe that, I have a nice piece of swamp land in Florida to sell you.

"Where are we going?" No answer from the statue in the driver's seat. We were going through a rough area called Knocknaheeny, Cork's answer to Stark Street. I hoped we weren't stopping here, I had once had an unpleasant experience walking through it alone, before I realised how bad it was. It had been nothing major, some guys offering me 50 euros for sex, and not being too happy with my negative reply. I hailed a taxi and got away, but I didn't like to think what would have happened had the taxi not happened along. I breathed a relieved sigh as we came into Gurranabraher, and then Blackpool. This was an area more like the Burg, and I drew a relieved sigh. Of course I still didn't know where we were going. Ranger pulled out onto the highway heading into Cork city centre, towards the bus station. Once we passed it, he took a sharp turn up a street on the right, and pulled up in front of a posh looking office building. He pulled out a keypad, and aimed it at a gate, which opened slowly to reveal a garage. Ranger angled the car in, closed the gate behind us, and shut down the engine.

I was getting a strong sense of déjà vu, it felt as if I was back at Rangeman. Ranger owned a security business called Rangeman, I had worked there for a while, while hiding from a stalker who wanted me dead. He had an apartment in the same building, and I had once broken into that to hide from another stalker who also wanted me dead. I used to get stalked a lot. What can I say? I have that effect on people.

Tank got the door for me when I seemed reluctant to get out. Ranger was already heading for an elevator at the end of the garage. He didn't look back at us, he seemed confident that I would follow. Which I did of course, but only because I was getting pissed off and wanted to give him a piece of my mind. The sight of his ass as he walked towards the elevator had nothing to do with my decision. Yeah right. I am such a slut.

We rode up to the 5th floor in silence. The doors opened, and I stepped out of the elevator and into an apartment. My first impression was that it was blue. After a moment's confusion I realised that the balcony was lit up with blue light for some reason, and as the balcony seemed to run along the outside of the entire apartment, and three of the walls were all windows, the interior of the apartment was bathed in blue light. It was very modern, very minimalist, very sterile, and very clean. One of those places that looks great in pictures, but you wouldn't want to live there.

The door of the elevator closed somewhere behind me, and I turned only to find Tank gone. I was alone in the apartment with Ranger.

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_Sorry this chapter is so short, it just seemed like a good place to break. Will get a start on the next chapter right away, wouldn't want to keep you in suspence…_


	3. Chapter 3

_Warning: Spoilers for pretty much all the books._

_Disclaimer: All characters belong to Janet Evanovich, except Ranger who is MINE and I will never, ever, let him go! I am still broke, and writing this will, to my everlasting regret, not help the situation. _

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_The door of the elevator closed somewhere behind me, and I turned only to find Tank gone. I was alone in the apartment with Ranger._

**Chapter three**

It was like being caged in with a wild animal. He circled me slowly, studying me, taking me in. I didn't dare take my eyes off him from fear that he would pounce. The past year had softened my memories of him, I had forgotten how scary he could be, how lethal. He was so big, so strong, I knew that he could kill me without any effort, should he choose to do so. He stopped in front of me, and I froze in place, swallowing hard as I waited with my head held high, for his next move. I don't know what he saw in my eyes, but it made him turn abruptly, and walk over to the windows, looking out on the city beneath. I gave a shivering sigh. The mood seemed to have lifted slightly, though I didn't know what had caused it.

"Babe." He sounded tired, almost resigned. I had no idea what he meant, why he was here, why he had sought me out.

"Ranger?" Believe it or not, this was a pretty typical conversation between us, even back in Trenton.

"You're frightened. Don't be, I'm not here to hurt you."

"All right… That's good to know. So why ARE you here?"

"Good question."

"I know, that's why I asked it."

"I came to find out WHY, damn it all to hell!" I had never seen Ranger lose control, never! When Ranger gets angry, he becomes quiet. He never yells; he never has to. Yet here he was, yelling, and to top it all off he grabbed a chair and threw it across the room, until it hit the wall behind me and splintered with a loud crash. It was meters away from me, and I knew that if he wanted to hit me, he would have, but I still shrunk back from the violence of his action.

"Christ, babe, I'm sorry…" He whispered the words, looking so lost and confused that i forgot all of my previous anger. I wanted to comfort him, to tell him that everything would be all right, but I still didn't know what the problem was. Having been with Joe Morelli, an Italian stallion with a temper to match, for several years though, I had some practice in calming irate men. I simply ignored him for a second while I shrugged out of my soaking wet jacket, hung it over the back of a chair as there wasn't anywhere else to put it, then walked towards him. He held out a hand to stop me from getting too close, and I hesitated.

"I don't think you should come any closer babe, I'm a little on edge."

As if I hadn't noticed.

"I'm not afraid of you, Ranger." Liar, liar, pants on fire. "I know you would never hurt me." My heart knew that, but my head wasn't so sure. "Why don't we sit down and talk?" Kudos to me for sounding calm and rational in the face of a pissed off, lethal superhero.

I sat down on the sofa in the middle of the room. It looked great and was seriously uncomfortable, but it carried my weight, which was more than could be said about my legs. Ranger was looking at me with his blank Batman-expression in place, probably wondering when I turned into Valerie, my perfect sister who always said and did the right thing. Well, at least until her husband left her for their baby-sitter, and she moved back in with my parents, got pregnant by a clown/lawyer and eloped to Disney world.

He didn't sit down, but he did seem to calm down a bit.

"When you left, I thought it was on a vacation. I told myself I should give you the distance you clearly wanted since you didn't bother telling anyone you were going. I waited for you to give me some sign that you wanted contact, a phone call, an email, a fucking postcard! But months went by, and there was nothing. I got worried, and contacted your parents. They confirmed what my contacts in Europe had established, that you were working and seemed happy here. I tried to settle with that, I tried to tell myself that it was enough, but damn it Stephanie, it wasn't! It still isn't!"

He was yelling again, and calling me Stephanie. Not good. For some reason it had ever occurred to me that Ranger would take my leaving like this. I would have expected it from Joe, but not from Ranger. I guess I'd thought that if he wanted me back, he would have found a way to make it happen. He was Batman, after all.

"Ranger, it's been a year. Why are you here? Why now?"

"I tried to wait. I tried to give you the freedom of choice that you value so much. I tried to wait for you to make the decision for yourself, I really did. But as you say, it's been a year, and I'll be damned if I'll wait any longer!"

Ahuh. I still wasn't sure what he was going on about, but I was pretty sure I wasn't going to like where this conversation was heading, so a hasty retreat was probably in order. I quickly stood up and started walking towards the elevator. Ranger didn't move to stop me, which I took as a good sign.

"It's been great to see you Ranger, and I want to finish this conversation, I really do, but I'm afraid it's going to have to wait until another time. You see, I have plans with my housemates tonight, it's my friend Rachel's birthday, and I'm already late. They will never forgive me if I don't show up." I was rambling, and I told myself to shut up. Luckily my mouth obeyed.

I reached the elevator and was getting ready to leave when I realized there was no button to open the damned thing. There was just the door, the rest of the wall was empty. I was looking for some stairs that might take me down to garage level, when an arm sneaked around my waist from behind. I hadn't heard him move, but now my body was painfully aware of how close he was, and how much I wanted him. The chemistry was still there between us, if possible it was even more potent than ever. He leaned in and kissed the sensitive skin just under my ear. His tongue played along the edge of my earlobe before sucking it into his mouth and nibbling it gently with his teeth. My feet were giving way under me, I would have fallen if he hadn't held me tight against his hard body.

"Sorry babe, but you're not going anywhere."

Gulp!

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_Hope you're enjoying this, look for the next chapter, it should be up soon. In the meantime, please review._


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story so far! I really appreciate the feedback._

_A huge thanks also to my friend Pilar Aguilera for translating certain parts of Ranger's dialogue to "Cuban Spanish", or as close as she could get it._

_This chapter was inspired by the Garbage-song "#1 Crush", which I have always associated with Ranger._

_Warning: Spoilers for pretty much all the books._

_Disclaimer: All characters belong to Janet Evanovich, except Ranger who is MINE and I will never, ever, let him go! I am still broke, and writing this will, to my everlasting regret, not help the situation._

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**Chapter four** _(Slight smut, but no clothes disappear)_

Ranger's POV:

I needed her. She was mine, yet she had left. I tried to let her go, I knew it was the right thing to do. But I couldn't. Without her, I had nothing. I was empty inside. She had never really understood me, never really understood the darkness surrounding me, waiting to engulf me completely. When I was with her, it retreated. Then she was gone, my light, and I was alone in the darkness. For a while the hope that she would come back kept me going, but for the past six months it had slowly swallowed me. I hated seeing the fear in her eyes, but I didn't blame her. I was as close to losing control as she had ever seen me. She was trying to leave again, I could see her retreating, trying to create distance between us. She still didn't understand. I couldn't let her go. I needed her.

She was looking for an exit, and I stepped close to her, slipping an arm around her waist. She froze, then she leaned into my body. It was still there, the chemistry that had drawn us together from the start. It gave me hope, for the first time in almost a year, I thought that perhaps it wasn't too late. Perhaps I could still save what was left of my soul. I breathed in her sweet scent, then I kissed her neck. She shivered at the touch, and when I gently pulled her earlobe into my mouth, I felt her knees buckle underneath her. She still wanted me, my babe.

"Sorry babe, but you're not going anywhere."

I felt her breath catch in her throat. I would have to go easy on her, give her time to adjust to me again. This time though, there would be no going back. This time she was mine, and I would not share her. I would not let her go, never again. I had always known it was in me, this obsession. It was why I had kept her at a distance. Again and again I had pushed her away, knowing that she wasn't ready for the intensity in me. Too late now, I'd given in to the darkness, and I could only pray that she would love me enough to forgive me.

I spun her around in my arms, looking into her eyes while slowly leaning down to claim her lips with my own. I waited for her to pull back, knowing that it wouldn't matter, but perversely I wanted her to accept me, even if she feared me. She didn't move. Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing uneasy, her body trembling like a gazelle at the mercy of a lion, but she didn't pull back. She met my gaze head on, challenging me to do my worst. That's my babe. I felt a flicker of pride run through me. Then our lips met.

I wanted to be gentle, I didn't want to scare her any more than I already had, but it was hopeless. At the first taste of her, I lost control. I crushed her body to mine, and drank from her mouth like a man dying of thirst. She met my thrusting tongue with her own, never yielding. I was so hard it hurt! I backed her against the wall, grabbed her ass with both hands and lifted her up so I could grind my hips against her. She clung to my shoulders, her legs hooked behind my back. She met my every movement with her own, her nails scratching my back, her teeth biting my lips until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, mixing with the taste of her. She must have felt it too, but neither of us drew back. Too many clothes, but I didn't want to take the time to remove them. It was enough, having her in my arms again, feeling her pressed against me, knowing she wanted me as much as I wanted her. That was a lie, it would never be enough, but it was a start.

She was moaning into my mouth, her hips buckling madly against me as she came, and the feeling of her given over to pleasure in my arms almost sent me over the edge, but I rained in what little control I had, and slowly lowered her to her feet in front of me. I wanted to come buried deep inside her, not spilling my seed in my pants like the greenest schoolboy. She was still shivering as aftershocks racked her body, and I held her close and whispered sweet nothings into her hair.

"Mi amor, mi angel. Te necesito y nunca te dejare ir. Perdoname por no dejarte ninguna opcion, pero ya es damasiado tarde. Simplemente amame. Amame." _(1)_

I knew she did not understand me, but she wasn't ready yet to hear all that was in my heart. One day I would tell her, but until then I would let my actions speak for me. I cringed at the though, because I knew she would not see some of my actions as loving. I hoped she would not end up hating me, that would kill a part of me, the last tatters of my soul. But it didn't matter, the decision had already been made. I had her now and I was not letting her go.

She pushed away from me, not meeting my eyes. It was the same old pattern. She wanted me, and gave in to the passion between us, but afterwards the strength of her reaction scared her, so she drew away. Because it suited my purpose I let her create a little distance between us. I reached out to touch her arm, and I watched her eyes widen in shock, before she crumbled and fell to the floor. I caught her, and carried her over to the sofa, laying her down gently. The stun gun was still in my hand, and I pocketed it before reaching down to brush away a strand of hair from her face. She was so beautiful to me. My babe.

She would not be out long, and I had wanted to be on my way before she came to, so I pulled out my cell phone and speed dialed Tank.

"Talk."

"She's out. Get the car ready, I want to leave in two minutes."

I disconnected, knowing he would follow my order to the letter, even though he did not approve of my plan. He liked "The Bombshell" as he called her. No matter, the die was cast. I gathered her in my arms, and aimed a keypad at the elevator. Three seconds later, the doors opened, and I stepped in. The mirrors inside reflected the image of me with the woman I loved in my arms. I leaned down and brushed a soft kiss on her forehead. The doors closed, and the elevator started moving. Down, into the abyss.

"Simplemente amame. Amame." _(2)_

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_(1) "My love, my angel. I need you, and I will never let you go. Forgive me for not giving you a choice, but it is too late. Just love me. Love me."_

_(2) "Just love me. Love me."_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please keep the comment coming , they motivate me to keep writing. This chapter is a bit fluffy, not much happening, it will get better though, I promise._

_Warning: Spoilers for pretty much all the books._

_Disclaimer: All characters belong to Janet Evanovich, except Ranger who is MINE and I will never, ever, let him go! I am still broke, and writing this will, to my everlasting regret, not help the situation._

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**Chapter five**

Steph's POV:

I woke up to darkness. My legs felt funny, and my fingers were tickling and twitching slightly. I knew this feeling, had experienced it several times. The bloody bastard stun-gunned me! As if I had brain cells to spare. I was laying on a soft bed, smooth sheets, engulfed in the scent of Bulgari, Ranger's shower gel of choice. Mmmmm, it's hard to stay pissed off when you are this comfortable. My spidey-sense detected no movement around me, and it's usually pretty accurate, so I figured I was alone. I was dressed in an oversized t-shirt, black, and it too smelled of Ranger. Sneaky bastard, he was trying to keep my senses dazed so I wouldn't hold the whole stun-gun thing against him. And it was working. I was already thinking that I wished my last encounters with various stun-guns had ended like this.

Snap out of it Stephanie! Time to take stock of your surroundings. Hah, there was Ranger's influence again, he was always telling me to be more aware of my surroundings. Now that my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, I could make out shapes and shadows. If the bed hadn't already tipped me off, I could now determine that I was in a bedroom. There was a window, but dark drapes were pulled in front of it, blocking the view, and I didn't know if it was night or day. I got up and walked towards it, pulling the drapes back.

Daylight flooded the room, and blinded me temporarily. I took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness, then I looked out. Not a whole lot to see. There were green hills as far as the eyes could see. Some forest, a few sheep, and that was it. I tried to look down, but the window wouldn't open, which limited my view a bit. I seemed to be quite high up, third or fourth floor.

"Hm. Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." (1)

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." (2)

"Huh?" I turned around, to find Ranger standing the doorway, watching me with a half smile playing on his lips. No man should be allowed to be that sexy. I quickly made sure that my mouth was closed and no drool had escaped. It is hard to let lose a convincing pissed off rant with drool dribbling down your chin. He interrupted me before i could even get started.

"There's a bathroom through that door if you want to freshen up. We'll talk after you've eaten. Come into the kitchen when you're ready."

"Huh, you think I need to freshen up?"

"Babe, people who think I look scary, have never seen you just after you've woken up."

I believe I was just insulted by a man who had kidnapped me! Before I could think of a reply, he was gone. I was about to go after him, but decided to take a quick look in the mirror first, just to see what the damage was. I opened the door he had indicated to, and entered a bright, spacious bathroom with white tiles, a big shower, two sinks and an old-fashioned bathtub with legs in the shape of lion paws. Very posh. I walked over the mirror. –Eeeek, scary!

A not so quick shower later (Ranger may not be my favorite person at the moment, but I'm big enough not to hold that against his shower gel), and some serious frizz-management later (all my favorite brands of cosmetics and products were here), I was ready to face the man of mysteries again. I had quite a few questions for him. I wasn't angry anymore, I had tried to hold on to it but faced with the Bulgari shower gel it proved an impossible task. I cheered myself up at the thought that it was unlikely to take him long to piss me off again. A quick search through the closet in the bedroom revealed a whole wardrobe in my size, stacked and hung neatly next to what was clearly Ranger's clothes. A browse through the drawers of the dresser revealed underwear, lots and lots of underwear, and all seemingly for me. The image of Ranger wearing red, lacy silk thongs was not comfortable, but unless he went commando there was nothing else for him. It was a confirmation of a suspicion I'd had ever since I snooped through his apartment back in Trenton.

The smell of eggs frying and toast toasting came from what I assumed was the kitchen, so I quickly pulled on some white cotton knickers, some black sweats and one of Ranger's t-shirts. It had nothing to do with wanting to feel clothes he had worn against my skin, I just didn't want to wear any more of the clothes he had bought me than I absolutely had to. And there's that piece of swampland in Florida again. Interested? I'll throw in some alligators for free.

I tentatively opened the door Ranger had left through earlier. It opened to a big living room with light, comfy-looking furniture and lots of green plants. It was an open plan solution, on the other side of the room was the kitchen area. It was raised above the living room area by a step, and was divided into a dining room and the kitchen itself. It was very pleasant, I decided, I particularly liked the big screen TV in the corner of the living room, the fire place, and the big man waiting for me in the kitchen. Wait, did I just think that?

There was no denying it, Ranger lit up every room he entered into. He was like a painting by Michelangelo or DaVinci or… well you know, one of those really famous painters. The point was, it didn't matter what frame you put it in, it was still a masterpiece. I was staring. I should probably stop. But it was such a great view! Eventually it was the knowledge that he knew all to well the effect he had on me, combined with the food which looked just about ready, which snapped me out of my trance. We sat down at the table in the dining room area, Ranger served scrambled eggs on toast, and extra toast with jam for me. It didn't make up for kidnapping me, but it was nice of him to allow me my morning sugar rush. And the coffee was just right. I recognized that he was making an effort, and frankly it was making me a bit nervous. Ranger doesn't apologize, he doesn't make mistakes that he needs to apologize for. So why the special treatment? Why was I even here?

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_(1), (2): Quotes from the movie "The Wizard of Oz", based on the book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by author L. Frank Baum._


	6. Chapter 6

_To everyone who has reviewed this story so far, thank you so much! I get such a kick out of reading your comments, lol. Please keep them coming._

_Thanks again to Pilar Aguilera, for instructing me on Spanish swearing. _

_Warning: Spoilers for pretty much all the books._

_Disclaimer: All characters belong to Janet Evanovich, except Ranger who is MINE and I will never, ever, let him go! I am still broke, and writing this will, to my everlasting regret, not help the situation._

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**Chapter six** _Beware, some swearing!_

Steph's POV:

"Well, that was nice." We had just finished breakfast, and Ranger was leaning back in his chair, watching me, waiting for me to blow up. I would hate to disappoint him.

"Perhaps now you could tell me what the HELL is going on here?" It felt goot to get angry. Angry I can handle. The warm, fuzzy feeling I got from Ranger's shirt and shower gel was harder to deal with.

"There I am, standing on a bus stop, trying to get home after a long, hard day of work, and all of a sudden you show up, shove me into a car, drag me to an empty apartment, kiss me senseless, STUN GUN ME! Then I wake up here, wherever "here" is, and you have yet to tell what the FUCK you're up to! You'd better start talking mister, and make it good."

"Babe."

"Don't you "babe" me! Just tell me where I am, what I'm doing here, why you saw fit to KIDNAP me after completely ignoring me for a whole year…" I was angry, I really was, but I was also hurt and confused. This was Ranger, I had waited for him to contact me for a year. Perhaps not conciously, in fact I had tried very hard not to think about him at all, but every time someone had walked up behind me, I had expected it to be him. And now, just as I was beginning to resign myself to the fact that he would not come, here he was. And what had he done? He had abducted me! He had often threatened to lock me in a safe house somewhere, whenever I had a crazed stalker after me, but nobody had threatened my life in so long…

"Wait, are you here because someone has been threatening me again? Is that the reason for all of this? Is there some threat against me that I don't know about?"

Ranger seemed to consider this, then slowly shook his head.

"Nothing more than usual, babe. A few of your skips have been released from prison, and have made threatening comments, but with you not in Trenton it has all faded into nothing."

"Then I just don't get it. This isn't like you, Ranger."

"How would you know? You've been away for a year babe, people change."

"Not you." I was absolutely certain of this. Ranger was the one stabile person in my life, my rock, the one person I could always count on. He was muttering under his breath, racking a hand through his hair.

"You don't know me as well as you think you do, babe."

"Huh, I don't know you at all. You've never allowed it. But actions speak louder than words, and you have always been there for me, always supported me. So for you to pull a stunt like this, you must have a damned good reason. Well, I want to know that reason, and I want to know it now!"

Ranger's POV:

¡Joder! _(1)_

How do you keep up your bad-ass image when the woman you love is determined to make you a knight in shining armor? She was angry. I was prepared for that. What I wasn't prepared for was the tears glistening in her eyes, the confusion as she tried to fit my actions into the image she had of the Ranger she knew. She asked if someone had threatened her. I considered it briefly. If it would make her stay here of her own free will, I would lie without hesitation. But she had never before allowed me to lock her up in a safe house, and she wasn't likely to start now. I decided it was best to keep this as honest as possible. She always preferred honesty. It was one of the mistakes Joe Morelli had made with her, again and again. He had kept the truth from her, "for her own good". My babe doesn't like other people deciding what is good for her. Of course, that's exactly what I was doing.

She didn't think it was "like me" to act this way. Hah, that was almost funny. In truth it was like coming home, after having restrained myself to the point of exasperation ever since I first met her. I probed gently, to see if she was ready to learn a little about me, the real me, but she shut down completely, blinded by the superhero-image she has of me. Bloody Batman.

"Coño!" _(2)_ A frustrated mutter escaped me. "You don't know me as well as you think you do, babe." She replied with more Batman-nonsense, and then demanded a reason. The line "You can't handle the truth" flashed briefly in my mind, but she wasn't in the mood for a flippant reply. Not even if it was the truth. She couldn't handle it. Not now. Maybe not ever. So how could I explain this? I grinned at her, knowing the effect my smile has on her. She looked a little dazed for a moment, but quickly recovered.

"I am on vacation."

She did not look convinced. No wonder, it was complete bullshit. I don't know where it came from, but it seemed as good an explanation as any.

"Haven't heard from you in a year babe, wanted to know why. Had a vacation coming, and decided Ireland was as good a place as any to visit."

"All right, say I believe you. That still doesn't explain the whole kidnapping thing."

"Again, I haven't heard from you in a year, and I still don't know why that is. Had no way of knowing if you'd agree to talk. Didn't see a reason to risk you skipping out before we could catch up." It was true, as far as it went. Truth light. Diet-Truth.

"You're nuts. Normal people don't kidnap anyone they want to have a chat with."

"Marching to my own drummer, babe."

"Your drummer is nuts too." And just like that, she started laughing. Her drummer wasn't far behind mine in the crazy-department.

* * *

_(1) "Fuck!"_

_(2) This is a very bad word in English, and one that I refuse to translate, but I have been assured that it is a very common exclamation in Spanish-speaking countries._

_Yes, that last bit is stolen from one of the books, but I don't have them in front of me now, so can't remember which one it is. It's from a conversation between Steph and Joe, where he accuses Ranger of being a psycho. She defends him by saying Ranger marches to his own drummers, to which Joe reply "His drummers are all psycho too"._


End file.
